Is This a Turning Point in Self-Publishing?

To anyone with an Internet connection and a love of literature, it’s obvious that self-publishing is the future of the book industry.

Self-published titles are up 17 percent just since 2012 and a whopping 437 percent over 2008.

Clearly (and much to the delight of readers), writers are finding themselves increasingly empowered by the leveling technology of software like Scrivener and SmashWords and online marketplaces like Amazon that, for better or worse, have proved crucial to the success of our industry while ripping power from the greedy, grabbing hands of the traditional gatekeeper publishers.

But make no mistake: behind all those ones and zeros, this historic success is cemented in the ever-lengthening line of remarkable novels, shorts, and series from self-publishing authors who’re using this modern technology to craft the kinds of stories that keep us all coming back for more.